The Merimbula Sailboard Club was formed in 1980 by a handful of keen, local wave sailors. Many of these founding members are still active and loving the wind and waves that Merimbula has to offer. Alongside many hardworking and dedicated salty dogs and ladies, are the masterminds of this Classic; Henry and John.
The Merimbula classic has been running consecutively since 1981 and Globally is the longest running event of its type… I guess “fun” keeps the people coming back.
Sponsors such as the dynasty that was/is MAMBO and Corona have supported this event from the get go, which in my opinion, is a pretty great feat for a couple of Salty Dogs with a passion to take their competition to the big leagues.
This competition has produced some talent over the years, too… ex- World Champion and hugely influential Ben Wilson, grew up in Merimbula and claimed his first Classic Title in 2004, my very first Merimbula Classic. I was 4 and Ben Wilson was just starting to make his mark on the kiting world. The likes of Scott McKercher (windsurfing), Kai Bates (SUP), Airton Cozzolino, James Carew and many more familiar names have been through this event. Everyone claims it’s the best of its kind.
I competed in my first Merimbula Classic at the age of 14 alongside a great group of groms, including James Carew. I was the only girl under the age of 25 at the time and I just remember thinking how amazing it was to be in a place with so many people that appreciated windsports. When you grow up only kiting with your dad and a handful of older blokes, the future for girls in an extreme sport like kitesurfing back then looked bleak. But I found a family down there, and it made a huge impact on my life. These groms are still some of my closest mates and I will cherish that Merimbula brought us together, forever.
I’ve got to hand it to the Merimbula Classic, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have fell in love with the sport as much as I have. I wouldn’t be a World Champion either, for that matter. You could probably ask Ben or James the same thing and get a similar answer.